Spahr headed to circuit court for home invasion

matt.durr@hillsdale.netHILLSDALE ó William Jerry Spahr Jr., 47 of Hillsdale will appear in Hillsdale Circuit Court on March 25 for a pretrial examination after being bound to circuit court Wednesday.

Spahr appeared before Judge Donald Sanderson in Hillsdale County District Court on two counts of second degree home invasion.

Spahrís lawyer, Public Defender Rod Dunham, said a deal has been reached with prosecutors and he expects his client to accept the deal when he appears in circuit court. The deal involves Spahr admitting to committing a home invasion at 173 North Manning in Hillsdale on Feb. 15. The other home invasion charge, involving another home on Manning, will be dropped. Spahr will also not be charged in any other home invasions he may be involved with and he will not be charged as a habitual offender, despite his previous record.

In March of 2010, Spahr was charged with first degree home invasion; however, that charge was reduced to trespassing. He served 25 days in jail and paid fines for that charge.

Spahr was charged last fall with one count of interfering with an electronic communication and one count of domestic violence. The interfering with an electronic communication charge was dropped, but he was convicted of domestic violence. He served three days in jail for domestic violence.

Hillsdale City Police arrested Spahr after connecting him to two home invasions that were reported on Feb. 15 near the campus of Hillsdale College.

Shortly after midnight on Feb. 28, HCP responded to complaints of a prowler in the area of Manning Street near River, which is close to the campus. While searching the area, police saw a suspect who matched the description of the prowler and investigated the man. Officers spoke to the suspect who turned out to be Spahr, but let him go after he denied any wrongdoing and officers did not have any reason to further investigate him.

When the HCP morning shift arrived, another complaint was filed in which the witness said they saw a man in a window near the area in question. Officers followed up with Spahr and after locating evidence of the burglaries, he was arrested around 4 p.m. that same day.

During his court appearance Wednesday, Spahr asked that his bail be reduced. Sanderson reduced the bond from $20,000 to $10,000 with 10 percent allowed. Spahr said he could pay $100, but Sanderson would not lower bond any further, saying it would be up to the circuit court judge to make any further reductions.

If convicted of the home invasion charge, Spahr faces up to 15 years in prison.